The Benefits of Hiring from the ‘Mature’ Talent Pool

Are you overlooking one of the most experienced, reliable and valuable talent pools available to your business?

When recruiting, it’s easy to focus on qualifications, recent experience and how well a candidate fits the traditional profile for a role. But there is another talent pool that can sometimes be overlooked: mature candidates with years – or even decades – of valuable workplace experience.

For employers struggling to find the right people in a competitive recruitment market, broadening the search to include mature talent can open the door to candidates who offer a huge amount to a business.

Experience that can’t be taught

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a mature candidate is, quite simply, experience.

Years spent working in a particular sector or profession can give candidates an understanding of processes, customers, colleagues and workplace challenges that takes a long time to develop.

They may have dealt with difficult customers, tight deadlines, changing markets, challenging colleagues and unexpected problems many times before.

That experience can mean they are able to hit the ground running, make sound decisions and deal confidently with situations that might take a less experienced employee considerably longer to navigate.

Reliability and commitment

For many employers, reliability is one of the most valuable qualities an employee can have.

Mature candidates often bring a strong understanding of the importance of turning up, doing a good job and taking responsibility for their work.

Having experienced different employers, industries and working environments, they may also have a clearer understanding of what they want from their next role – and be looking for a company where they can settle in and make a genuine contribution.

A wealth of knowledge

A mature employee doesn’t just bring their own skills. They can also bring knowledge accumulated over an entire career.

That knowledge can be incredibly valuable to other members of the team.

Whether it’s mentoring a less experienced colleague, sharing industry knowledge, helping to improve processes or simply providing another perspective when a problem arises, experienced employees can have a positive influence well beyond their own job description.

Confidence and emotional maturity

Workplaces can be challenging environments. Deadlines get missed, customers become frustrated and things don’t always go according to plan.

Mature employees may have encountered many of these situations throughout their careers and can often bring a calm, measured approach to dealing with them.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be ambitious or energetic. It simply means they may have developed the confidence to understand which problems require urgent attention – and which don’t.

Stronger perspective and problem-solving

Experience can change the way we approach problems.

Someone who has worked through several economic cycles, technological changes, management restructures or industry disruptions may have a broader perspective on workplace challenges.

They may ask different questions, identify potential problems earlier and suggest solutions based on what they have seen work – or fail – in the past.

Sometimes the best candidate isn’t the one with the most impressive CV. It’s the one who knows how to get things done.

A valuable addition to a multi-generational workforce

The strongest teams aren’t necessarily made up of people from the same generation or with identical backgrounds.

A multi-generational workforce can bring together different experiences, perspectives and approaches.

Younger employees can bring fresh ideas, new technology skills and different ways of looking at the world, while experienced employees can contribute knowledge, perspective and mentoring.

The result can be a team where people learn from each other.

Don’t make assumptions about what a mature candidate wants

One of the biggest misconceptions about mature candidates is that they are necessarily looking for an easier or less demanding role.

That isn’t necessarily the case.

Many experienced candidates are still ambitious, want responsibility, enjoy learning new skills and are perfectly comfortable working with new technology.

Some may be looking for a complete career change. Others may want to use their existing experience in a different environment. Some may simply be looking for an employer where their skills and contribution are genuinely appreciated.

The important thing is to ask the candidate what they want – rather than make assumptions based on their age.

Recruitment should be about the right person, not the right age

Of course, hiring a mature candidate isn’t automatically the right decision for every vacancy.

The same applies to hiring someone at any other stage of their career.

The key is to look beyond assumptions and focus on the qualities that actually matter to the role:

• Can they do the job?
• Do they have the right skills and experience?
• Will they fit into the team?
• Are they motivated to join your business?
• Can they add value?
• Do they share your organisation’s values and approach?

If the answer to those questions is yes, does their age really matter?

At Shepherd Stubbs, we believe experience should never be overlooked

At Shepherd Stubbs, we work with candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and stages of their careers.

When we’re sourcing candidates for our clients, our focus is on finding the right person for the role, not simply matching a job description to a particular age group or career profile.

The mature talent pool can offer employers a wealth of experience, knowledge, reliability and perspective – and in a recruitment market where finding good people can be challenging, it makes sense to consider every source of great talent.

Your next great hire might not be the candidate you expected.

If you’re finding it increasingly difficult to attract the right candidates for your vacancies, perhaps it’s time to broaden the search.

Talk to Shepherd Stubbs about how we can help you find the right person for your next vacancy.